Chapter 248: Saintess of the Poison Sect

Shao Wanwan studied Wang Haoran for a few seconds, her foxlike eyes flickering with subtle intrigue. Then her lips curled into a smile that seemed lighthearted, even playful. “Handsome,” she said with a sweet lilt, “it’s late and I can’t get a cab. Would you mind giving me a ride?”

“Get in,” Wang Haoran replied without hesitation.

This woman was a female lead. That much was clear. There was no way someone like her would randomly hitch a ride from a stranger—especially not in the dead of night. She definitely had something else in mind. Which made him all the more curious to see what she was after.

Shao Wanwan’s smile deepened as she gracefully slid into the passenger seat.

“Where to?” he asked, sparing her a sideways glance. She was the picture of seduction, her beauty dangerous in its sharp edges.

“I don’t have anywhere to go,” she said, her eyes gleaming as she met his gaze. “Would it be alright if I stayed at your place for the night?”

Her voice was sultry, teasing. As she spoke, a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance began to waft through the air around her.

It wasn’t perfume. It was poison—an invisible toxin designed to influence the mind, a subtle agent of psychological suggestion. Combined with Shao Wanwan’s innate charm and intoxicating beauty, the effect was near-lethal. Any ordinary man—hell, even one with decent self-control—would find his thoughts spiraling, his reason eroded by lust.

But Wang Haoran wasn’t just anyone.

First, he was no rookie. He’d been through enough that his mental resistance was off the charts.

Second, ever since falling prey to Tang Bingyun’s schemes, he’d gotten smart. Following the methods outlined in the Supreme Poison Scripture, he had cultivated a constitution immune to all toxins.

Now, with his Poison Resistance maxed out, Shao Wanwan’s scent might as well have been a gentle breeze.

Still, he was curious about her goal. So he decided to play along.

Letting a dazed, dreamy look slip into his eyes, he gave her a slow, indulgent smile. “Of course. What’s your name?”

Seeing the effect take hold, Shao Wanwan’s expression shifted. The flirtation dropped from her face like a mask. In its place was something cold and commanding.

“My name isn’t important,” she said coolly, her voice taking on the edge of authority. “All you need to know is that I’m your master now. From this moment on, you’ll do exactly as I say. First order—hand over the car.”

Wang Haoran raised a brow. “Anything else besides the car?”

“Money,” she replied without blinking. “However much you have, get it ready.”

“And after the money?” he asked, still playing along.

Her brow furrowed. Her voice turned sharp. “Enough with the questions. When I want something from you, I’ll say so. And before you speak to me, you’ll address me properly. Got it?”

“What should I call you?” he asked mildly.

“Master!” she snapped.

“Good girl,” he said, the dazed look vanishing in an instant. His voice shifted—light, amused, and razor-sharp beneath the surface.

Shao Wanwan froze. It took her a second to register what had just happened. Then her expression twisted in disbelief. He wasn’t under her spell at all—he’d been mocking her the entire time.

Her voice turned cold. “You have a death wish?”

“No,” Wang Haoran’s gaze turned frosty. “That would be you. Do you have any idea who you’re playing with?”

She hesitated, anger rising—but as she prepared to strike, a sudden weakness swept through her limbs. Her body went limp. Strength drained away.

She was poisoned.

“You… who the hell are you?” she asked, her voice trembling.

The realization was a thunderclap. Poison was her forte—her pride, her weapon. Not only had her own toxin failed, but she had fallen prey to someone else’s? Her mind reeled.

“You don’t need to know who I am,” Wang Haoran said coolly. “Now I’m the one asking the questions. You’ll answer honestly. Understood?”

She had no choice but to nod. Powerless and vulnerable, she was a fish on the chopping board.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Shao Wanwan. I’m the Saintess of the Poison Sect.”

So she really was a witch-type female lead. In a sense, she was half a villainess in her own right.

But Wang Haoran’s Villain Halo far outstripped hers in sheer dominance. Against someone like him, her presence was like a candle before a blazing sun.

Now that she had been subdued, she obediently answered his questions one by one.

“What did you want from me?” he asked, his voice calm.

“I came to Qingling for a mission. I needed a helper. I saw you driving a Bugatti and thought you’d be useful. So I tried to recruit you. I didn’t expect…” Her voice trailed off.

“You didn’t expect I’d be stronger than you,” Wang Haoran finished for her with a smirk.

If this had happened back in his early days—when he was still struggling to deal with x-ray vision protagonists—he probably would’ve been another pawn under her thumb. But now? He was too strong, too refined. His Villain Aura had reached levels she could never control.

“I was blind, I didn’t recognize Mt. Tai when I saw it,” Shao Wanwan said quickly, her pride crumbling. “Please… just let me go.”

“You can leave,” Wang Haoran said simply. As the words left his lips, the poison in her system dissipated like smoke on the wind.

She blinked, startled. That he’d let her go—just like that?

【Ding! Favorability from Female Lead Shao Wanwan increased by 10. Current Favorability: 20 (Very Friendly)】

【Ding! Host has altered the course of the plot. Gained 600 Villain Points!】

Afraid he might change his mind, Shao Wanwan scrambled out of the car. But as she stepped onto the pavement, a burning question gnawed at her. She hesitated, then turned back to face him.

“My perfume—‘Dark Fragrance’—is a poison known to only a handful in the world. How… how were you immune to it?”

Wang Haoran met her gaze, offering no reply.

Undeterred, she asked again. “Not even the Poison Sect elders—or the former Sect Master—could poison me so completely, so silently. Who are you, really?”

Still, he gave her nothing. Just a cold, calm sentence. “You should be grateful for who you are. If it weren’t for your identity, you’d already be dead.”

And he meant every word.

Had she not held the status of a Female Lead, had she merely been some side character? She’d be a corpse on the roadside right now.

With that, he said no more. Under her stunned gaze, he drove off into the night.

Shao Wanwan stood frozen, staring after the car as it disappeared into the distance, her mind echoing with his final words.

Your identity.

He spared her because she was the Poison Sect’s Saintess. That could only mean one thing—he had ties to the Poison Sect. But who exactly was he?

The question circled endlessly in her thoughts.

Unable to answer it, she returned to her temporary base and sought out the elder who had accompanied her to Qingling.

The elder was a crone—wizened skin and white hair, but eyes that gleamed with sharpness. She radiated the dangerous calm of a seasoned killer.

“Did you find the person we needed?” the old woman asked, her voice dry but probing.

“Just now…” Shao Wanwan, weighed down with thoughts, heard the elder’s question and recounted what had just happened. Then she asked, “Fifth Elder, you’ve seen a lot—do you know who that man is?”